May 6, 2004 1:07 PM, from staff and wire reports

Costco Wholesale Corp logged net sales of $3.56 billion for the four weeks ended May 2, 2004, a 13% increase from $3.14 billion in the same four-week period of the 2003 fiscal year.

For the first 35 weeks of its 2004 fiscal year ended May 2, 2004, the company reported net sales of $31.35 billion, an increase of 14% from $27.47 billion during the similar 35-week period of the 2003 fiscal year.

Costco operates 433 warehouses, including 320 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 63 in Canada, 15 in the United Kingdom, five in Korea, three in Taiwan, four in Japan and 23 in Mexico. It plans to open another seven to nine new warehouses before Aug 29, 2004, the end of its fiscal year.